Healthy and Tasty: Focus Group Research on Vegetable Consumption among Children Aged 9 to 12

¹Food Department, School of Nutrition, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay.

²Sensory Evaluation Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Chemistry, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay.

³National Center for Science and Food Technology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica.

Corresponding Author:Adriana Gambaro, Sensory Evaluation Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Chemistry, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay Tel: (+598) 2924 5735; E-Mail:[email protected]

Received Date: 14 Sep 2016    
Accepted Date: 16 Oct 2016    
Published Date: 21 Oct 2016

Copyright © 2016 Gambaro A

Citation:Raggio L, Gambaro A and Ivankovich C. (2016). Healthy and Tasty: Focus Group Research on Vegetable Consumption among Children Aged 9 to 12. Mathews J Nutr Diet. 1(2): 009.

ABSTRACT

Focus groups were used to explore attitudes to vegetable consumption among children aged between 9 and 12. Group meetings were used to gather data concerning habitually consumed foods (both in the home and at school), preferred meals, most consumed vegetables, motives for vegetable consumption and non-consumption, the perceptions of vegetable-eating and non-vegetable-eating children, and children's suggested vegetable-based products. Major vegetable consumption drivers and barriers were analysed from the children's perspective. The focus group data showed that certain sensory factors (taste, appearance and texture) are powerful consumption drivers. The identity and the creativity of the person who prepares the meals as well as vegetable consumption habits in the home were also found to have a major impact on attitudes towards consuming vegetable among these children.

KEYWORDS

Vegetables; Consumption; Children; Focus Group.